Friday, July 6, 2012

The Calm Before the Storm

Stubb challenges Ahab for pacing the boards while the
shipmates sleep, but Ahab calls him a dog, insulting Stubb.Nonetheless, Stubb withdrawals and is
completely incensed by Ahab’s rudeness.

Chapter 30 – The Pipe

Suddenly, Ahab realizes that smoking his pipe no longer
satisfies him and he tosses it into the sea.

Chapter 31 – Queen Mab

Stubb tells of a dream he has had about Ahab kicking him
with his whalebone leg, and that a merman in his dream has suggested it is an
honor to be kicked by Ahab.

Chapter 32 – Cetology

A friend of mine told me to skip this chapter, and when I
asked what to write in my summary, she suggested writing one word: dumb.In greater detail, she added that it is
inaccurate and non-factual and does not add to the story.Being that I am only interested in the story,
I have taken her advice.

Chapter 33 – The Specksynder

A dry chapter on the hierarchy of officers, mates, and
crew aboard whaling ships.

Chapter 34 – The Cabin Table

Descriptions of what it is like to eat aboard the whaling
ship: the order in which the crew eat, what they eat, how they eat, and
in silence because Ahab prohibits conversation.Harpooners eat like animals, and are menacing to the cook.

Chapter 35 – The Mast-Head

Ishmael has his first post atop the masthead watching for
whales, where sometimes it can get boring and one can get easily distracted
with daydreams.He also gives a history
of the mastheads aboard whaling ships.

Chapter 36 – The Quarter-Deck

Something is eating at Ahab, and the mates know it.Ahab calls the crew together and orders them
to look out for a white sperm whale with three holes punctured in his starboard
fluke; he offers a reward to him who raises that whale.The harpooners know the whale as
Moby-Dick.Starbuck thinks it is a waste
to search only for Moby-Dick as revenge for what was just a natural instinct –
the injury committed against Ahab.

Chapter 37 – Sunset

Ahab contemplates: he knows that he is mad and that the crew
agrees, but he is fixed on his vengeance against Moby-Dick.It was foretold that a whale would dismember
him; therefore, now he foretells the final end to his dismemberer.

Chapter 38 – Dusk

Starbuck contemplates: he is uneasy about this mission,
but he is compelled to pity Ahab.Then
the crew is in an uproar, and Starbuck is disheartened to be in such a horror
of a mess between the madman and the heathen crew.

Chapter 39 – First Night-Watch

And finally, Stubb contemplates: I think he’s cracking up!

Chapter 40 – Midnight, Forecastle

The novel turns into a play.The different varieties of nationalities on board are displayed.They sing and converse and argue.